Proto-Neshtak
<< Back to Conlangs Characteristics Phonology Consonants Vowels Vowels are: Morphology Nouns There are three gender of nouns: masculine, feminine and neuter. Nouns are declined according to two numbers: singular and plural, and to nine cases, viz.: #Nominative (subject) #Accusative (direct object) #Dative (indirect object) #Ablative #Genitive (possessive) #Locative #Commitative (company) #Instrumental #Vocative Noun declension is extremely regular, with very few exceptions. Masculine Nouns | |} Feminine Nouns | |} Neuter Nouns | |} Adjectives Adjectives are declined exactly the same way as nouns. Each adjective inflects for gender, number and case. All adjectives have a stem ending in '-y-'. mupyu, mupye, mupyi "new", "young" | | |} Kemtyu, kemtye, kemtyi "great" | | |} Comparative Form Superiority The suffix '-yuly-' is added to the stem of the adjective, resulting in a new adjective. Ex.: *'kemtyu' "large", kemtyulyu "larger" *'mupyu' "new", mupyulyu "newer" *'punyu' "good", punyulyu "better" Equality Inferiority Superlative The suffix '-yidiny-' is added to the stem of the adjective, resulting in a new adjective. Ex.: *'kemtyu' "large", kemtyidinyu "the largest" *'mupyu' "new", mupyidinyu "the newest" *'punyu' "good", punyidinyu "the best" Pronouns Pronouns follow the same declension system used for nouns and adjectives, with little differences in some forms. Personal Although there are dual forms for all pronouns, they were not always used, plural forms being preferred. Dual forms were used mostly when the speaker wanted to emphasize the fact that the elements were exactly two. 1st and 2nd person pronouns have special forms, while the 3d person pronoun follows the regular noun endings. 1st and 2nd Person Pronuns | |} Possessive Possessive pronouns are declined like any other adjective. Demonstrative *'idyu, -e, -i' "this" (very near) *'hizu, -e, -i' "this" (not so near) *'egiru, -e, -i' "that" (far) *'hu, he, hi' "this", "that" and also "the" These follow the regular nominal declension. The form hu, he, hi is used in expressions like hi diteti "the (capital) city", hi pari "the beautiful (things)" = "beauty", hu bedyu "the strong one", hi tisiti "that (what was) said". Interrogative *'giyu' "what" *'ganu' "who" *'gohu' "which" *'gung' "how" *'hotyor' "where" *'gotur' "when" Relative *'giyu' "that" *'ganu' "who" Indefinite *'hekonu' "some", "any" *'mamyonu' "no", "none" *'dutu' "all", "every" *'getu' "each", "every" Numbers Cardinal Numbers *0 dalu *1 honu, -e, -i *2 tugid *3 dedes *4 gede *5 dogu *6 zides *7 dadi *8 uhidu *9 mupi *10 tades *11 hontades *12 tugyades *13 dedetades *14 godetades *15 dogutades *16 zitades *17 dadyades *18 uhyades *19 mupyades *20 podi *21 podi honu *30 dlode *40 gohelode *50 dimgohode *60 zidode *70 dadode *80 uhidode *90 mupode *100 danu Ordinal Numbers Ordinal numbers are regular adjectives. *1 benihilyu, -e, -i *2 dikodyu, -e, -i *3 dedilyu, -e, -i *4 gohedyu, -e, -i *5 dogodyu, -e, -i *6 zihidyu, -e, -i *7 dadinyu, -e, -i *8 uhidepyu, -e, -i *9 mupimyu, -e, -i *10 tadinyu, -e, -i Conjunctions Coordinating *'goye' "for" *'hi' "and" *'maho' "nor" *'dat', nes, bule "but" *'uho' "or" *'ihotet' "yet" *'edina' "so" Correlative *'hops ... hi ... ' "both ... and ... " *'uho ... uho ... ' "either ... or ... " *'maho ... maho ... ' "neither ... nor ... " *'mu ... dat ... ' "not ... but ... " *'medu ... depe ... ' "not only ... but also ... " Subordinating *'tibid' "after" *'godot' "although" *'di' "if" *'idat' "unless" *'giyuk' "so that" *'bedot' "therefore" *'hebise' "in spite of", "despite" *'ghoye' "because" Verbs Concepts *'Voices': Active *'Moods': Indicative, Subjunctive, Conditional *'Tenses': Present, Present Continuous, Perfective, Aorist, Imperfective, Pluperfect, Past Continuous, Future, Future Perfect, Future Continuous *'Persons': 1st, 2nd and 3rd *'Numbers': Singular and Plural Each verb has a root that is expanded with a thematic vowel (e''' or '''i). To this theme (root+vowel) are added tense and personal suffixes. E.g.: *'ber-e-ø-um'->'bereum' "I speak" (root, vowel, present tense indicative, 1st person singular) *'ber-e-pe-nus'->'berepenus' "we were speaking" (root, vowel, past continuous indicative, 1st person plural) Sample Conjugation: Phêtiolu "see" Here is the full conjugation of the verb pit-i-olu "see". For other verbs, just change the root (in this case, pit-''') and the thematic vowel (-i-''' in this case). Active Voice Indicative =Present = =Present Continuous = =Perfective = =Perfective II = =Aorist = =Aorist II = =Imperfective = =Pluperfect = =Past Continuous = =Future = =Future Perfect = =Future Continuous = Subjunctive =Present = =Present Continuous = =Perfective = =Aorist = =Imperfective = =Pluperfect = =Past Continuous = =Future = =Future Perfect = =Future Continuous = Conditional =Present = =Present Continuous = =Perfective = =Aorist = =Imperfective = =Pluperfect = =Past Continuous = =Future = =Future Perfect = =Future Continuous = Participle =Present = *'pit-i-yeyu' =Present Continuous = *'pit-i-toyu' =Perfective = *'pit-i-teyu' =Aorist = *'pit-i-zdeyu' =Imperfective = *'pit-i-teyu' =Pluperfect = *'pit-i-layu' =Past Continuous = *'pit-i-tayu' =Future = *'pit-i-doyu' =Future Perfect = *'pit-i-lteyu' =Future Continuous = *'pit-i-lneyu' Imperative Vocabulary *Swadesh List: Here we give the Swadesh List for Proto-Neshtak. Sample *"Dutudes unanudes medinga riplyudes, tikimtetum hi tiliydens. Egires diminga lesewe hi gozyoze, hi tipinga eshiolu honu uhodluk izbilidup henotetik." **''("All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.")''